Win with HostelBookers Christmas Advent Calendar Giveaway!

Want an iPad this Christmas? How about a free stay at a hostel in Tokyo or Berlin? Like a new Nintendo Wii?

These prizes and more are up for grabs in the HostelBookers 24 Days of Christmas Giveaway! To get all you travellers into the festive mood, Hostelbookers will be treating members of their Facebook page to a Christmas present a day from 1st-24th December 2010.

Forget Christmas jumpers and tea towels, we’re talking hostel stays, iPods, Ryanair flights, sunglasses, shopping vouchers…even a scuba diving course (perfect for those listing ‘be more adventurous’ as one of their New Year’s resolutions)! All together, this adds up to more than £3000 worth of prizes direct from Santa’s sack! Certainly trumps the old chocolate advent calendar, doesn’t it?

Entering the competition is easy. All you have to do is answer a daily question posted on the HostelBookers Facebook wall by emailing your answer to christmas@hostelbookers.com. Each day, a different question will test you on your knowledge of Christmas festivities and travel across the world.

Just remember to keep checking back for regular updates. Not only will a new question be revealed, but winners will be announced on the following day. Fingers crossed!

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Great Christmas Gift Ideas For All The Special Ladies in Our Lives Part Three

Christmas is surely fast approaching! People have been certainly snatching the greatest deals offered during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale. But if you haven’t found that perfect gift just yet, then don’t lose hope because I’m going to share to you some gift ideas that were featured on Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things this year. I’m sure you’re going to find that special gift for your special lady this Christmas!

If you’re on a budget, I’ve also included the alternative products that are similar to the extravagant things but sold at a lower price. Now, how exciting is that? Hope you’ll enjoy this list!

Oprah included the Andre Walker Hair Care Products as one of her ultimate favorite things this year. One sure testimonial we that we could see of its great effects is Oprah’s soft and bouncy hair! Andre Walker Hair Care Products

If you can’t find these great hair care products near you, you might just want to try The Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin 1 Complete Nutrition Shampoo. I’m sure these are easily accessible at your local pharmacy like Watsons.

Kerastase Nutritive Bain Satin 1 Complete Nutrition Shampoo

Every lady dreams of having her own kitchen and surely having those neat baking pans too! This year, Oprah gifted her audience with the Baker’s Edge Brownie Pan that promises much more delicious baked goodies every time. The funky design allows the brownie to be baked just perfectly giving it two chewy edge! (Now, I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!) ( Baker’s Edge Brownie Pan

If you want brownies with perfectly cut square done for you, then you might also be interested with the Perfect Brownie Pan Set! You don’t need to cut the brownies in square because the brownie pan will do it for you! Isn’t that amazing?

Perfect Brownie Pan Set

Is your special lady a great Panini fan? Then the Breville Panini Press is a great gift idea for her this Christmas. Take note, Oprah uses this Panini press for her loved ones too! Simply a great way to make snacks and even simple meals as well Breville Panini Press

If your lady already got her very own Panini press machine at home, then all you need to give her is the 200 Best Panini Recipes! After this, there will surely be a great reason to host a Panini party! *wink*

200 Best Panini Recipes

Do you know what Oprah uses to keep her herbs fresh? Long ago, she even asked the great Martha Stewarts for the solution she longs to find and now she discovered (and gifted each of her audience) the Prepara Grow and Store Pack-up and Herb Savor by Prepara! It lets you tend your own herbs and keeps them fresh too! Prepara Grow and Store Pack-Up

If you’re on a budget, you might be interested in buying a herb keeper instead like the Progressive International Herb Keeper! Keeps your herbs fresh just the same *wink*

Progressive International Herb Keeper

These are just some gift ideas listed on Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things this year. I hope this helps you with deciding what to buy your special lady this Christmas!

If you like to view the full list of Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things, click HERE

Have you read Part One and Part Two of this article? If not, then you should take a peek!

Have a Happy Christmas Shopping!

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Christmas Without The Hassle

The idea of meandering along a festively decorated high street, complete with the Salvation Army brass band playing Christmas hymns, vendors vigorously roasting chestnuts and fellow shoppers gazing happily around at the same sights seems lovely and almost too good to be true, in reality it is too good to be true. In actual fact it’s dark, it’s cold and it’s snowing.  The streets are packed, the shops are hot and the checkout queues snake half-way around the shop. You’re running out of time, money and patience, but it’s not as if the Christmas presents are going to choose, buy and wrap themselves.

It’s not wonder millions more consumers are swapping real for virtual high street this year.  But aside from the dismal weather forcing people to stay home and get connected and overcrowded shops trying the patience of even the most saintly Christmas shoppers, what other benefits are there to doing your Christmas shopping online?

The biggest one has to be price. Seeing as overheads are lower, competition is greater, market size is larger and bulk selling is possible, prices are low, low, low.

Being able to buy from overseas markets also lowers costs but at the same time it ups the level of choice. No longer is your local town, city or even country your shopping base, but the world really is your oyster. You can shop in virtual Mumbai, New York and Sydney.

No longer do you have to hunt through ten different shops each search proving fruitless for that one gift for aunty so-and-so or cousin what’s-his-name. You can jump onto Google or any other search engine and search millions of websites for that specific product in just a few seconds.

Bored of wrapping? Get the website to gift-wrap the product for you. Not every website offers this facility, but at Christmas, more websites do tend to offer gift wrapping as they make a few extra Pounds but you save a lot of time and hassle and won’t find sellotape stuck to tables and on the floor a few weeks later.

Trying to find something different gets harder and harder every year. Uniqueness is much easier to find online. There is a website for pretty much everything, so with a few well thought out searches you can find the perfect gift for even the hardest people to buy for.  Not on the High Street is a great place to start your special and unique shopping for Christmas gifts.  Packed full of gifts that – as the name suggests – are not on the high street, this website has plenty of hidden gems and ‘true finds’ that make perfect Christmas presents.

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I Dreamed A Dream

The debut album from the British singing sensation who stunned the judges, audience and TV world, coming out of nowhere to audition for Britains Got Talent with a powerfully moving rendition of I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables. Like Paul Potts the year before in BGT, Boyles humble appearance belied her amazingly rich, beautiful voice that won the hearts of listeners worldwide. This first album is the talk of the music world after Susans recent performance on national TV in America of an incredible rendition of Wild Horses. Includes I Dreamed a Dream, Wild Horses, Amazing Grace and many more jewels. Artist: Susan Boyle Format: Music CD Publisher/Mfg: Ignatius Press Mfg Code: IDD-D Track List: 1. Wild Horses 2. I Dreamed A Dream 3. Cry Me A River 4. How Great Thou Art 5. You ll See 6. Daydream Believer 7. Up To The Mountain 8. Amazing Grace 9. Who I Was Born To Be 10. Proud 11. The End Of The World 12. Silent Night

Price: $11.98

Click here to buy from Amazon

JLab USB Laptop Speakers - Portable, Compact, Travel Notebook Speaker for PC and Mac - B-Flex Hi-Fi Stereo USB Laptop Speaker - Black

Need better sound from your laptop? The stylish new B-Flex 2 is a compact stereo speaker on a USB flex cable for laptops and desktops. Plug and play for PC and Mac with no batteries or wires! Easy to use, great for travel, mp3's, DVD's, presentations, and gaming! Features dual 1 watt digital amps and 2 full range paper cone micro drivers for crystal clear sound. The B-Flex 2 digital circuitry even works on computers without sound cards. The patented flex design allows you to position the speaker for optimum listening enjoyment. The only product of its kind, the B-Flex has been featured in the New York Times, on ABC News, on Gizmodo, and many others. WIRED magazine says the B-Flex 2 "Puts laptop speakers to shame." Makes a great gift! A White unit is also available.

Price: $39.95

Click here to buy from Amazon

The Original Christmas Classics (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer/Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town/Frosty the Snowman/Frosty Returns/Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol/Little Drummer Boy/Cricket on the Hearth)

CHRISTMAS CLASSICS GIFT SET - DVD Movie

Price: $29.93

Click here to buy from Amazon

Christmas Gifts

It's almost a custom these days to wish 'Merry Christmas' with Christmas gifts. The current tradition of giving gifts on Christmas came into popular practice following the Three Wise Men's (Magi) gifts to baby Jesus. Gift-giving during Christmas is primal to the age-old tradition of Christmas, and this took larger proportions slowly through the years with the rise of consumerism. Now if you come to think of it, today's Christmas is really impaired without those big boxes in colorful wrappers tied up with glistening ribbons and piled up at the foot of the Christmas evergreen, those red stockings chock-a-block with Santa's givings, those warm cards displayed on the mantle and many more sweet Christmas surprises. Evidently Christmas gifts have become integral to our Christmas holidays ! Every Christian bears the spirit of giving and sharing on Christmas. So what are you planning to gift your dear ones this Christmas ? Here are some Christmas gift ideas for you to check out:

o Christmas gifts can be anything from some pretty flowers to a chic jewelry. So then, you can never fall short of ideas when it comes to Christmas gifts. Flowers are wonderful gifts for all occasions. And they can brighten up days on Christmas too !

o Christmas gift baskets are wonderful ideas for Christmas presents as well. You can make one yourself or buy one for your friends, siblings or sweetheart anytime. A gift basket stuffed with cookies, chocolates and other little surprises would surely make the difference to your loved ones' days !

o Gift certificates for Christmas won't be bad ideas either. So send all your wishes and good cheer in a piece of envelope and fly them to your dear ones on Christmas.

o Christmas decorations can be good Christmas gifts too. A box of Christmas ornaments would instantly set the sparkles in the hearts of the receivers on the holidays.

o How about some stunning necklace, pendant or earrings for the women folk this Christmas ? For all their proverbial craving for "all that shines", they would simply slobber over these well-chosen Christmas gifts of yours !

o Wines and cigars as Christmas gifts are bound to strike the right chord for the men folk. These would sweep them off their feet and you can't help spot that glint in their eyes once they get the sleek wine bottle or the splendid cigar-case as Christmas presents.

o Candle-stands, photo-frames, doormats, wall hangings, nice paintings, flower vases, garden accents, personalized plaques-all these could just be your choice for this Christmas season. What's unique with these is that these are good gift ideas for your boss, colleagues, teacher, Reverend, neighbors and other acquaintances too. Home decors always make cool Christmas gifts.

o DVDs, music CDs, music accessories, audio books and musical instruments would be perfect Christmas gifts for your music lover buddies. So why not drop them these surprise gifts this holiday ?

o Sports goods for sports nuts, electronic gadgets for the gizmo buffs, or may be some fitness equipment for the health freaks-choose your Christmas gifts wisely and well in advance to avoid the rush of the Christmas shopping season.

o Cool Christmas toys-mini Santa, reindeer sledges, little elves, musical trees, Christmas story books, puzzles, Christmas games, pretty dolls, macho trains and cars-are all peachy Christmas gift ideas for the kiddos that are waiting to be picked !

o Christmas lights and lamps are yet some more glowing ideas for Christmas gifts. And these are all the rage during this season too.

Sean Carter writes on holidays, Christmas Day and world events. He also writes on family, relationships, Christmas, religion, love and friendship. He is a writer with special interest in ecard industry and writes for 123greetings.com. He is an active blogger at Christmas Blog